AUSTIN, Texas — Our Verify team looked at air conditioning refrigerant and whether one of the most common kinds is phasing out. It's true, but is there any reason to freak out?
A local AC expert tells us what you need to know.
When recharging an AC unit, people like Gary Cremeans, a comfort advisor with ABC Home & Commercial Services, knows it's important to get the right amount of refrigerant in the system.
"The outside number is going tell you the pressure the unit's actually running at," explained Cremeans as he checked an AC unit.
But with one of the most common refrigerants being phased out, some people might be concerned that, starting in 2020, their AC won't turn on.
"They do not have to be taken out of service," said Mark Gatewood. "They can still be used and there will still be refrigerant available to continue servicing those unit's even past 2020."
Gatewood is also with ABC Home & Commercial Services. He understands exactly what this all means.
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He said that there are multiple types of refrigerant, and only production of R-22 is being shut down.
"The green jug is all beat up, is the 22 because we don't use much of it," said Gatewood. "The pink jug is all new and we buy it by the pallets because we use a whole bunch of it."
Even if you have an older AC, R-22 machines haven't been made since 2010 and a quick check will let you know that you should be fine.
"Nobody's going to show up at your house and say, 'Now, it's the old refrigerant and you have to get a new unit,'" said Gatewood.
So, if you're thinking you'll need a recharge soon, it will still be years before R-22 is actually gone.
"The actual supply of R-22 will be around long after the equipment is gone," said Gatewood.
This phase-out of R-22 actually started in the '80s, because there were signs it was bad for the environment. This is just the culmination of that decision.
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